The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-03-17


her hands, and twisting the towel around her
fingers, fixed her small pale blue eyes ut the
lawyer. 80
"And ez that the kind O. cbirpin these crit
tiers keep upG"u iaHYTjf Es,i ystfsS -,
81 regret to say. my dear young lady, 70
sponded the lawyer, "that the world Is CEN
serious. must add" he continued, with en-.
gaging frankness, ''that we professional law
yers are apt to study the opinion OF the
world, and that such will be the theory Of
our side" - y .1t
"Then," said Peggy stoutly, 1ez, / allow
I've got to so into court to defend my char
acter, might as well pack in them threemil.
lions too" - ggH-.# ssEsf .-leE: Ffs,
/ There is hearsay evidence that Peg added
to this speech q wish and desire to 1bust The
crust" of her traducers, and, remarking that
"that was the kind of hairpin" she was,
closed the conversation with an unfortunate
accident to the plate that left q severe contu-
sion on the legal brow Of her companion.
But this story, popular in the barrooms and
gulches, lacked confirmation in higher circles
Better authenticated was the legend related
of an interview with her own lawyer. That
gentleman had pointed out to her the advan-
tage Of being able to show some reasonable
cause for the singular generosity Of the tes-
tator. ,.r .. ~.
although" he continued, "the law does
not 60 back of the will for reason or cause for
its provisions, it would be strong point with
tbs judge and jury-particularly if the
theory of insanity wers set up~for Us to
show that the act was logical and natural.
OF course you bave-I speak confidently,
Miss Moffat-certain ideas Of your own why
the late Mr. Byways was so singularly gen.
erous to you" h.--'.'. -''..s....
mo, 1 haven't" said Peg decidedly.
"Think again. Had he not expressed to
you-you understand that this is confidential
between us, although Iprotest, my dear young
lady, that see 10 reason why it should not
be made public--had he not given utterance
to sentiments of nature consistent with
some iut4re matrimonial relationsl' But
here Miss Pegs large mouth, which had been
slowly relaxing over her irregular teeth,
stepped BIN. "a 80. ..""i.t
IF you mean he wanted to marry me-
Mop ..# re ...
~ see. But were there any conditions-of
course you know the law takes no cognizance
of any not expressed IN the Will: but still, for
tue sake Of mere confederation Of the be-
quest--do you know of any conditions on
which he gave you the property" ~
"You mean did he want anything in re-
turns" 49, ~. s.. ..
Exactly, my dear young lady" ,..aa
Pegs face on one side turned deep ma
senta color, on the>other a lighter cherry,
while her nose Nas purple and her
forehead an Indian red. To add to the effect
or this awkward and discomposirg dramatic
exhibition Of embarrassment, she began to
wipe her hands on her dress, and satsilent
II understand" said the lawyer hastily.
"No matter-the conditions were fulfilled"
"No!" said Peg amazedly. "How could
they be until ha was deadp
It was the lawyers turn 70 color and grow
embarrassed.
"Hc did say something, and make some
conditions" continued Peg, with o certain
firmness through her awkwardness; "but
that's nobody's business but mine and his'n.
And it's no call o. yours or theirs"
"But, my dear Miss Moffat, il these very
conditions were proofs of his right mind, ypg
surely would not object to make them known,
If only to enable you TO put yourself in con-
dition to carry them out" -,
"But," said Peg cunniugly, "s'pose you and
the court didn't think 'em satisfactory!
Spose you thought 'em queerl Ehp
With this helpless Limitation on the part Of
the defense, the case came to trial. Every
body remembers it--how for six weeks it was
the daily food of Calaveras county; how for
six weeks the intellectual and moral and spir-
itual competency of Mr.. James Byways to dis
pose of his property was discussed with learned
and formal obscurity in the court, and with
uulettered and independently nrejudice by
Camp fires Id in barrooms, At the end df
that time, when it was i0s,:;eeally established
that at least nine-tenthS of the population =,
Calayeras were harmless lunatics, and every
body else's reason seemed to totter on its
throne, an exhausted jury succumted one day
to the presence of Peg in the court room. 1t
was not a progressing presence at any time,
but the excitement and an injudicious at
tempt TO ornament herself brought her de-
fects into a glaring relief that was almost
unreal Every freckle on her face stool out
and asserted itself singly; her pale blue eyes,
that gavo no indication of her force OF
character, were weak and wandering, or
stared blankIy at the judge; Der diversified
head, broad at the base, terminating in the
scantiest possible light colored braid in the
middle Of her narrow shoulders, was as hard
aud undressing as the wooden spheres that
topped the railing against which she sat.
The jury, who fnr six weeks had had her do
scriLed to them by the plaintiffs as an arch,
willy enchantress, who had sapped the failing
reason Of Jim Byways, revolted to man..
There was something so appallingly gratui-
tous in her plainness, that it was felt that
three millions was scarcely compensation
for it. "Ef that money was give to her she
earned it sure, boys; it wasn't no softncss Of
the old man." said the foreman. When tho
jury retired it was felt that sho had cleared
her character; when they re-eptered the
room with their verdict it was known that
she had been awarded three millions damages
for its defamation. III $3.50 2g scsa so ~
a so ssSsAI.M q
II ", - - kS8f[Bf3f~DltE..s>